Furniture Moving Services – All Your Questions Answered
Published by Chris Townsend
Whether you’re relocating to a different city or transferring across the country, moving can be an extremely stressful process. One of the most challenging parts of moving is deciding what to do with your furniture. You might not need to take your bed, fridge, and entertainment unit with you, but what about all those chairs, tables, shelves, and dressers you own?
If you need help with moving furniture, various residential and interstate moving companies can help you. When choosing furniture moving services, you need to consider many factors, with travel distance and budget being two of the most important ones.
If you’re looking for help finding a company to move furniture to your new home, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about furniture moving companies and how to find the best one.
Types of Furniture Moving Services
Furniture moving companies offer different types of services. Depending on the travel distance, there are three major types of furniture moving services:
Local Furniture Moving
If your new home is in the same city or state you’re currently living in, you need to hire a local moving company. There’s typically a travel distance limit for local relocation, which depends on the company’s location, services, and offers. In most cases, a travel distance of 50 to 100 miles is considered a local move. These types of moves are usually priced by the hour and by the number of movers required for the job.
Long-Distance/Interstate Furniture Moving
Long-distance furniture moving (or interstate moving) refers to shipping your furniture to another state or across the country. These types of moves take more time and effort, so they are naturally pricier. In fact, long-distance moves can take weeks to complete. Note that long-distance moves aren’t priced by the hour, but by shipping volume or how much room your furniture takes up in the moving truck.
International Furniture Moving
International furniture moving is the most complicated process, since you will be shipping all your belongings abroad. In the case of international moves, your furniture is usually transported via ship or plane. You’ll have to deal with the customs process and many other important international matters. If you’re moving your furniture to Canada, this also counts as an international move.
Most moving companies also offer full-service and self-service furniture moving, based on the volume of the move:
Full-Service Furniture Moving
Full-service moving is when the moving furniture company takes care of the entire furniture transportation process from start to finish. The movers do everything, from taking your furniture apart and packing it in boxes to unpacking and reassembling it at the new location. They also bring all the necessary packing supplies and materials with them.
Self-Service Furniture Moving
Self-service furniture moving is a better option when you want to pack your furniture yourself. But the transportation will still be handled by a moving furniture company. This type of furniture moving is less expensive, but it’s more time-consuming and takes more effort. Moreover, you’ll be responsible for procuring all the necessary moving supplies (boxes, etc.).
Other Types of Furniture Moving Services
Depending on the type of move, companies also offer residential and commercial furniture moving services. Residential furniture moving refers to transporting furniture from one residence to another. On the other hand, commercial furniture moving is generally intended for transporting office furniture. If your company is moving to a new location, you’ll need a moving company to transport all the desks, computers, chairs, and other common office furniture and technology.
Some moving companies also offer in-home moving services. This type of service is created for homeowners who are somehow prevented from moving their furniture around their home, whether it’s because of their age, mobility restrictions, or the size of the piece of furniture. If a homeowner needs furniture rearranging services, in-home movers can help.
Benefits of Full-Service Home Furniture Movers
Instead of hiring a professional moving company, many people choose DIY moving to save money. While DIY moving is more cost-effective, hiring a professional moving furniture company comes with numerous advantages.
It’s a common misconception that house furniture movers only come to pick up your already-packed furniture and ship it to a different location. Quite the contrary, that’s only part of their job. Full-service furniture moving companies pack up all your furniture for you. In addition, the movers will take apart all larger furniture and then reassemble it at your new address.
Full-service furniture movers can also help with heavy furniture. Movers have the necessary moving equipment and proper tools to disassemble furniture and rebuild it at the new location, so they won’t be required to carry heavy units up and down stairs, for instance.
Organizing a move can be very stressful. There are many different details you need to think about. Hiring a full-service moving furniture company will make the whole process much less stressful for the homeowners. You’ll also have much more time to focus on other matters, and you’ll be able to say goodbye to your old home at your own pace.
Depending on how involved you want to be in the entire process, you may not have to lift a finger. If you have children or pets, you will be able to focus all your attention on getting them prepared for the move.
How Much Does Furniture Moving Cost?
There is no definite price for moving your furniture since it depends on various factors. Different moving companies offer competitive prices for their services, so make sure to check out several to be sure you’re making an informed decision. Here are some factors that can determine how much furniture moving services cost:
The Travel Distance
The distance from point A to point B is the most price-determining factor when it comes to furniture moving. The further you go, the more moving fees you will incur.
Short-distance moves (100 miles away or less) typically cost between $800 and $2,500. On the other hand, long-distance moves can cost between $2,200 and $5,700 because they depend on the distance and total shipping weight. Short-distance moves are usually priced by the hour, which means the prices for furniture moving can cost between $70 and $125 per hour.
Shipping furniture overseas is also quite pricey, with the average price being $1,000 and $4,500. Note that this applies to port-to-port transportation. Shipping furniture by plane is much more expensive.
The Size of the Move
No matter which moving company you opt for, the amount of furniture you plan to transport will impact the price. As mentioned before, the movers will take into account how much space your furniture takes up in the moving truck. If you have any items or furniture that you no longer need, consider selling them online or at a yard sale, or just give them to a friend or a neighbor before the move.
The Moving Date
Moving can cost much more during the peak moving season, which is from May to August. The best time of the year to move is from September to April, but you’ll get the cheapest moving fees in winter. The time of the week also matters. If you can, avoid moving during the weekend.
Storage Options
If you want to store some or all your furniture before moving into your new home, this will mean additional fees. These rates depend on the moving company, so make sure to check if it’s included in their service. The option to keep your furniture in a storage unit is a great solution when you’re forced to move unexpectedly.
Travel Fees
This factor is similar to the travel distance, but it refers to any other fees related to the transportation process. For example, if the movers need to make an extra stop, this will also cost you. Don’t forget to take fuel costs into consideration.
Specialty Moving
If you want to move furniture that’s heavy or delicate, it will probably mean additional costs. For example, if you want to move a piano, it’s going to require an expert piano mover. Specialty moving includes pool tables, hot tubs, valuable artwork, and similar items.
The Furniture-Moving Truck Distance
If the movers need to carry your furniture down three flights of stairs, or if there is a large distance between your home/apartment and the moving truck, this might incur additional fees. If you’re moving your furniture from a single-story house, you probably won’t have to worry about these fees. However, if you live in an apartment building, you will probably need to set additional money aside.
How Furniture Moving Works
If you decide to hire a full-service moving furniture company, the first thing you need to do is choose a moving date. When the moving truck arrives, you are welcome to stay and supervise the packing-up process. Of course, you won’t need to give the movers instructions, as they know what they’re doing. But if you feel there is something they should know that can help them speed up the moving process, you can always tell them ahead of time.
The movers will be responsible for taking apart and packing up your furniture. Depending on the moving company you chose, they may not bring the shipping supplies. If you choose a full-service furniture moving company, you won’t be required to supply bubble wrap, tape, boxes, and other moving materials and supplies.
While you won’t need to pack up your furniture, you will be responsible for cleaning up after the movers leave. That way, you can make sure nothing is left behind. As the movers do their job, go through the entire house, room by room, to make sure all the furniture is packed and taken away.
If you can meet the movers at your new home, that would be great as well. If you’re moving to another state, you will probably arrive before your furniture. You’ll be able to clean up your new home and decide where each piece of furniture will go.
The movers will also load and unload all your furniture from the truck, so you won’t have to do any heavy lifting.
How to Prepare Furniture for Moving
You need to start looking for a reputable moving furniture company the moment you decide to move. Make sure to contact a moving company of your choice at least one month before your move. That way, they can schedule a moving date that suits you.
If you choose a full-service moving company, you won’t need to pack your furniture or take it apart. However, there are things you can do to prepare your furniture for moving. For starters, you can clean the furniture so it arrives in good shape at your new home. To make sure the moving process goes as smoothly as possible, clear the pathway from your home to the moving truck.
If you want, you can dismantle your furniture. However, if it’s included in the moving furniture service, there is no need for you to go through the trouble.
How to Choose a Moving Furniture Company
If you were to google “help moving furniture near me,” you would get a bunch of results on the first page. The trick is finding house furniture movers that can meet all of your needs for a budget-friendly price. Keep in mind that moving may never be cheap, but there are ways to lower the moving fees.
First, make sure that the moving company offers the type of furniture moving service you’re looking for. Reputable moving companies offer short-distance and long-distance furniture moving.
Make sure that the moving company you choose is licensed. This lets you know that you’re putting your furniture and your belongings in the safe hands of professionals.
Look for a company that offers free quotes, which will allow you to see whether they are offering a good deal or not. It’s a good idea to hire a moving company that also offers insurance. If some of your furniture gets damaged during the move, the company will be obligated to reimburse you. So, don’t forget to ask about their insurance policy.
Leave the Furniture Moving for the Professionals
Moving your family and all your belongings to a new home is never easy. You need to think about gathering important documentation, finding a new home, and transferring to a whole new environment. The last thing you want weighing on your mind is your furniture.
That’s why you should leave the furniture moving to a reliable, full-service moving company, like Three Movers. We offer various furniture moving services, including local, interstate, international, residential, and office furniture moving. If you’re interested in our moving services, contact us to get a free quote.
